Overview
The Master of Health Leadership and Policy (MHLP) in Seniors Care is a professional degree for health-care professionals who want to design, deliver and lead comprehensive care and services for seniors in a range of community and organizational settings. This interdisciplinary program combines graduate-level health-care courses with UBC Sauder’s Robert H. Lee Graduate School courses – giving you the skills and confidence to take your career in new directions.
Demographic trends have created a pressing need for talented health professionals to guide the future of patient-centered seniors care in community and institutional contexts. Organizations are seeking compassionate health-care specialists who can develop innovative services and programs. They’re also looking for individuals with the business perspective and interpersonal skills to successfully lead teams and guide change.
Choose health care and business
The MHLP in Seniors Care program offers a unique combination of health-care and business classes – giving you the strategic skills to play a leading role in this growing health-care sector. Health-care courses offer a holistic exploration of the epidemiology of aging, the influence of health policy on care, evidence-based decision-making and the environmental aspects of seniors care. Business courses offered by the top-ranked UBC Sauder School of Business give you a solid foundation in data analysis, project management and organizational leadership.
A full-time flexible format
In this comprehensive full-time program spanning 12 months, your classes will be scheduled on-campus for two full days each week, between Monday and Friday. Historically, courses have been offered on Mondays and Wednesdays. This structure requires between 12 and 16 hours of in-class time weekly providing a well-rounded and immersive learning experience. This thoughtful design ensures a balance between in-class engagement and independent study, fostering a dynamic education tailored to meet the demands of a rigorous academic curriculum.
In this 12-month program you will:
- be immersed in best practices in seniors care as you develop care strategies, use conceptual and analytical tools, and explore strategies for leading operations and maintaining quality
- enhance your understanding of policy, leadership and business practices relevant to seniors care
- learn within diverse clinical practice sites as part of a curriculum grounded in experiential and community-based learning opportunities
- study with renowned faculty from the UBC School of Nursing, as well as local leaders in public- and private-sector practice sites
- expand your professional network while collaborating with other MHLP students
- gain the fundamental business, project management and interpersonal skills to advance your career and confidently take on positions of increased responsibility
What makes the program unique?
A Master of Health Leadership and Policy (MHLP) degree from UBC gives you the credentials and knowledge to confidently move into positions of greater responsibility or make the shift into a new health-care field.
Explore best practices in Seniors Care
MHLP courses are a rigorous combination of theory and evidence-based practice. You’ll explore philosophies of care, organizational considerations for fostering health, and the elements of the social and built environments that contribute to wellness.
Learn the language of business
Clinical knowledge is not enough. Through courses offered by UBC Sauder’s Robert H. Lee Graduate School, you’ll gain foundational business skills, improving your understanding of broad-based management concepts.
Understand and influence policy
Health-care policies determine how health care is organized and delivered. You’ll explore how health policy informs clinical practice education and learn how to effectively develop and influence policy.
Gain a professional master's degree from a world-class university
UBC is one of the world’s top 40 universities and its programs and professors have a global reputation for excellence. The Faculty of Applied Science is home to one of North America’s premier nursing schools, with notable strengths in the areas of seniors care and clinical education.
UBC Sauder School of Business is ranked first in Canada and 38th in the world for business and management studies, and the school is known for its commitment to rigorous, relevant and experiential teaching.
Expand your network
As a student in the MHLP in Seniors Care program, you will grow your personal and professional network by:
- learning from world-renowned faculty members – health-care educators known for their excellence in research and teaching
- studying alongside motivated peers who bring a diverse range of work experience and perspectives to the program
- taking business courses with students from other professional graduate programs in the Faculty of Applied Science – engaged and ambitious professionals in the MHLP in Clinical Education program
- attending workshops and presentations featuring industry leaders (discover our professional development sessions to see the most recent speakers and topics), offering you opportunities throughout the year to gain insight into the latest issues and trends in your field
Go further
Health-care practitioners who have a deep understanding of best practices in seniors care and are familiar with business concepts are well positioned to lead change in their careers and organizations. Our graduates have the knowledge and expertise to confidently move into sought-after positions and new areas of health-care practice. They are working in the public and private sectors in positions that include director of care, director of lifestyle and therapeutic services, and provincial co-ordinator for advocacy and public policy
Program Structure
STUDY FULL TIME OR PART TIME
Choose from either a full-time (12-month) or part-time (24-month) option. With the 12-month full-time option, you'll complete your studies in one year, expanding your knowledge base and skill set in a concentrated time frame.
The 24-month part-time option offers flexibility for those who want to continue working while building their business and technical knowledge. By balancing work and study, you'll be able to apply your new skills immediately to your workplace, and bring technical and leadership challenges from work into classroom discussion. This part-time version of the MHLP in Seniors Care also an opportunity to build your professional network over two years. Students pursuing this option can expect to be on campus for two weekdays each week (approximately 10 hours total).
Quick Facts
Program Enquiries
Tuition & Financial Support
Tuition
| Fees | Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat | International |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | $116.25 | $168.25 |
| Tuition * | ||
| Installments per year | 3 | 3 |
| Tuition per installment | $10,755.80 | $21,610.24 |
| Program Fee | $32,267.40 | $64,830.72 |
| Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible) | Not applicable | |
| Other Fees and Costs | ||
| Student Fees (yearly) | $1,116.60 (approx.) | |
| Costs of living | Estimate your costs of living with our interactive tool in order to start developing a financial plan for your graduate studies. | |
| Deposit to accept offer (if admitted) | ||
| Deposit requirement | $5000.00 | $5000.00 |
All fees for the year are subject to adjustment and UBC reserves the right to change any fees without notice at any time, including tuition and student fees. Tuition fees are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors. In recent years, tuition increases have been 2% for continuing domestic students and between 2% and 5% for continuing international students. New students may see higher increases in tuition. Admitted students who defer their admission are subject to the potentially higher tuition fees for incoming students effective at the later program start date. In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.
Financial Support
Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options.
Program Funding Packages
MEL and MHLP students may be eligible for a number of external scholarships. Being a professional program, there are no UBC scholarships, grants or funding offered directly for MEL or MHLP students. Students who require financial assistance may wish to consider student loans through their home countries, employer scholarships, or loans through a financial institution.
Employer support
Organizations may provide their employees with tuition benefits as part of an employment package to support lifelong learning of their workforce.
Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)
Professional / course-based programs usually do not provide merit-based funding. Some programs may offer bursaries.
Financial aid (need-based funding)
Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans.
All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.
Foreign government scholarships
Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.
Working while studying
The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.
International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.
A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement.
Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals
Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.
Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.
Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.
Cost Estimator
Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.
Career Options
Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats
These statistics show data for the Master of Health Leadership and Policy in Seniors Care (MHLP). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.
ENROLMENT DATA
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications | 16 | 18 | 25 | 16 | 14 |
| Offers | 7 | 14 | 21 | 13 | 11 |
| New Registrations | 2 | 12 | 17 | 10 | 9 |
| Total Enrolment | 14 | 21 | 12 | 10 | 9 |
Completion Rates & Times
Disclaimer
Further Information
Specialization
Learn to design, deliver and lead comprehensive care and services for seniors in a range of community and organizational settings.
Graduate with the ability to:
- understand and apply principles of environmental gerontology
- analyze and use data for technical decision-making
- understand and appreciate non-technical issues that impact the sector
- conduct relevant quality-assurance research
Program Website
Faculty Overview
Academic Unit
Program Identifier
Classification
Program Enquiries
Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form.
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